Salmon Species in California: Chinook, Coho, and Kokanee

Salmon fishing in California means different things depending on where you are and which species you are targeting. The Chinook runs on the Sacramento, American, Feather, and Mokelumne rivers draw significant angler attention each fall. Kokanee fishing at Shasta, Donner, and Stampede is a quiet but productive summer fishery for anglers with boats. Coho fishing, by contrast, is largely off the table in California given the species' ESA listing. Understanding the distinction between these three species, and between wild fish and hatchery plants, is essential before you wet a line.

Chinook Salmon (King Salmon)

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Chinook salmon are California's primary anadromous sport salmon. They are the largest Pacific salmon species and support a substantial fishery on Central Valley rivers during fall-run migrations. Multiple hatchery programs supplement wild populations, but the hatchery fish are raised for ocean return and adult river harvest rather than put-and-take lake fishing.

Identification

Chinook salmon are identified by two features that separate them from all other Pacific salmon in California: black gums and a black lower lip. No other Pacific salmon has black coloration on the gums. Additionally, Chinook have black spots on the back, sides, and all fins including both the upper and lower lobes of the tail. The body of an ocean-fresh Chinook is silver-blue on the back with a bright silver belly. As fish enter freshwater to spawn, they darken to olive-brown, then red or maroon as spawning approaches. Male fish develop a hooked jaw (kype) and humped back as they mature. Chinook are the largest Pacific salmon in California; mature fish commonly weigh 15 to 35 pounds, with exceptional fish over 50 pounds documented in California rivers.

Life History and California Runs

Chinook salmon in California organize into distinct runs named for the time of year adults enter freshwater to spawn. The fall run is the most abundant and most important to sport fishing. Fall-run Chinook enter Central Valley rivers from August through November, with the Sacramento River peak typically in September and October. The spring run, which enters rivers from February through May and holds in cold deep pools through summer before spawning in fall, is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The winter run, entering the Sacramento River from December through March, is listed as Endangered and represents one of the most imperiled salmon runs in the country.

Hatchery Programs

California's Chinook hatchery programs are large and long-running. Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek (operated by USFWS) is one of the largest Chinook hatcheries in the Pacific coast, releasing millions of fall-run smolts annually into Battle Creek and the Sacramento River. Feather River Hatchery at Oroville releases fall-run fish into the Feather River. Nimbus Fish Hatchery on the American River below Folsom Dam supports the American River fall run. Mokelumne River Hatchery, operated jointly by East Bay MUD and CDFW, plants fish into the Mokelumne River. These releases are smolt plantings for ocean return, not put-and-take catchable fish. The fish leave for the ocean, spend one to four years growing, then return as adults to spawn. The adult fish that return are what anglers intercept during river salmon season.

Fishing

River Chinook fishing on the Sacramento, American, Feather, and Mokelumne rivers during the fall run is the primary inland salmon fishery in California. Trolling with spinners, Kwikfish lures, or back-bounced roe in the main river channel produces most fish. Check current CDFW regulations before any salmon outing, as seasons, bag limits, and gear restrictions change annually based on run strength. The salmon season has been closed or restricted in recent years during poor return years. For the full breakdown of which rivers get salmon plants and when, see the California salmon stocking guide.

Coho Salmon (Silver Salmon)

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus kisutch

Coho salmon once supported a significant California sport fishery on North Coast rivers. Their numbers have declined dramatically over the past several decades, and most California Coho populations are now listed under the Endangered Species Act. Sport fishing for Coho is largely prohibited in California. Understanding why matters for any angler fishing North Coast rivers during salmon season.

Identification

Coho salmon are distinguished from Chinook by gum color. Coho have white or gray gums, while Chinook have black gums. Coho also have spots on the upper lobe of the tail only, not the lower lobe, while Chinook have spots on both lobes. In the ocean, Coho are bright silver with a blue-green back. As they approach spawning condition in freshwater, they turn a distinctive red with a darker, olive-green head. Males develop a pronounced hooked jaw. Coho are smaller than Chinook, typically weighing 8 to 15 pounds at maturity.

Conservation Status

California Coho salmon are divided into distinct population segments under ESA management. The Southern Oregon and Northern California Coast population is listed as Threatened. The Central California Coast population, which historically occupied rivers from the Russian River south, is listed as Endangered. Coho salmon in California require cold, clean water with complex stream habitat, conditions that have been significantly degraded by water diversions, timber harvest, agriculture, and dams over the past century.

Hatchery Programs and Recovery

Trinity River Hatchery and Iron Gate Hatchery on the Klamath River maintain Coho hatchery programs primarily focused on supplementing wild populations for recovery, not producing sport fish. These plants are conservation-oriented. Trinity River Hatchery Coho releases support efforts to rebuild the Klamath-Trinity basin population. Fishing for Coho in most California freshwaters is prohibited; anglers who encounter a Coho while fishing for Chinook are required to release it unharmed. Verify current regulations through CDFW before fishing any North Coast river during salmon season, as rules are complex and species-specific.

Kokanee Salmon

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus nerka

Kokanee are the landlocked form of sockeye salmon. They complete their entire life cycle in freshwater, never migrating to the ocean. This makes them the one salmon species in California that functions as a true put-and-grow sport fishery, where stocked juvenile fish grow in reservoirs and are caught by anglers as adults.

Identification

In the lake, Kokanee are bright silver with a blue-green back and no spots on the body or fins. They look like a small, sleek baitfish and are often mistaken for trout by anglers who are not expecting them. The key visual identifier is the forked tail and the salmon body shape, which is more streamlined and compressed than a trout. Kokanee are small compared to anadromous sockeye: most California fish weigh 1 to 2 pounds at maturity, with 3-pound fish being exceptional. As Kokanee approach spawning in late summer and fall, males turn brilliant red on the body with a green head, identical in coloring to anadromous sockeye. Spawning fish also develop a humped back and hooked jaw. Most fish die after spawning.

California Waters and Stocking

Kokanee are stocked as juvenile fingerlings rather than catchable-size fish. The fish spend one to three years growing in the reservoir before they are large enough to interest anglers. This put-and-grow model means stocking records show small fish numbers rather than the large numbers typical of put-and-take trout plants. Primary Kokanee waters in California include Shasta Lake, Whiskeytown Reservoir, Donner Lake, Stampede Reservoir, and Fallen Leaf Lake. Shasta and Stampede hold the most consistent fisheries. Lake Tahoe historically supported Kokanee but the population has fluctuated with water quality and forage conditions.

Seasonal Patterns

Kokanee fishing peaks from late April through July in most California reservoirs. Fish are most accessible near the surface in spring when water temperatures are cool, then drop progressively deeper as summer heat warms the upper water column. By July, fish at Shasta or Stampede may be suspended at 40 to 80 feet in the thermocline. In late summer and early fall, Kokanee begin moving shallow again as they prepare to spawn, and the largest fish of the year are often caught in September before spawning coloration makes them undesirable as table fare.

Fishing Approach

Trolling is the most effective method for Kokanee in California reservoirs. A typical setup runs a series of flashers or a dodger 18 to 24 inches ahead of a small hoochie, wedding ring spinner, or small spoon in red, pink, or orange. A drop of anise or krill oil on the lure adds scent. Downriggers are standard equipment for targeting fish suspended at depth once summer stratification sets in. Kokanee have soft mouths that tear easily, so treble hooks and light 6- to 8-pound line reduce losses. A light action rod with a slow tip cushions the head shakes of a hooked fish. Early morning is the best window; Kokanee often go off the bite by mid-morning as boat traffic and sun angle increase.

For the specific rivers and hatcheries involved in California's Chinook salmon programs, see the California salmon stocking guide, which covers which rivers get plants, when releases occur, and how smolt planting differs from put-and-take fishing.